1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of content and/or data delivery over a network. More particularly, the present invention is related to apparatus and methods for distributing programming content, media, data and other information services via apparatus disposed on a user premises (e.g., residence, enterprise, etc.).
2. Description of Related Technology
Older (e.g., analog) cable television systems utilize a separate tuner resource dedicated to receive, and prepare for viewing, the audio and video stream of a single RF channel (e.g., 6 MHz or 8 MHz).
Current digital cable technology employs compressed digital signals which, via Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) or similar techniques, potentially allow for the distribution of more channels. For example, by using QAM and digital technology, up to six MPEG 2 audio and video streams can be sent down the same RF channel. Thus, a single tuner resource potentially has access to multiple channels for receipt and route through the set top device simultaneously. However, due in large part to the legacy of the aforementioned analog signals (i.e., on tuner, one stream), current digital systems are not living up to their full potential in terms of delivery of multiple channels over a single RF “QAM”. Accordingly, a technique that allows for the utilization and distribution of the content and data of the several streams available via a single or multiple QAM, would be useful in efficiently managing and distributing multiple program streams simultaneously in one premises device.
A variety of premises devices for use with cable television networks which permit multiple channel streams to be distributed from a set top box (STB) are known. For example, patents involving Picture-in-Picture (PIP) technology (such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,860 to Micic, et al. issued Feb. 13, 1979 and entitled “TELEVISION RECEIVER EQUIPPED FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOWING SEVERAL PROGRAMS”) disclose systems that provide for viewing an image portion from one image signal while simultaneously viewing at least a portion of an image from a different image signal. These systems generally include an image display device, a first tuner and a second tuner. The first and second tuners in these systems are configured to receive first and second image signals, and to output corresponding first and second video signals, respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,927,806 to Chan issued Aug. 9, 2005 entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MINIMIZING SUBSCRIBER-PERCEIVED DIGITAL VIDEO CHANNEL TUNING DELAY” discloses a digital STB. The STB is capable of decoding multiple digital video streams simultaneously. The invention also discloses the incorporation of channel look-ahead capabilities, in which one or more digital tuners tune to and decode a next video channel based upon information taken from a subscriber's usage history and information obtained from average subscriber behavior. The invention set forth in the Chan patent utilizes multiple tuners and multiple decoders within an STB to allow for the reception and decoding of multiple channels received from varying frequencies.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,824 to Potrebic, et al. issued Oct. 12, 2004 and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING MULTIPLE TUNERS” discloses an enhanced user experience by using multiple tuners to simultaneously tune multiple channels. The multiple tuners channels included in programming content, so that a user is able to rapidly tune the channels without having to wait. Other features include the ability to simultaneously record conflicting programs. Each tuner can tune to a separate channel and either display and/or record that channel. The multiple tuners also allow a snapshot of recent channels to be maintained and updated such that a user can be apprised of the current content of those channels without having to separately tune each channel.
United States Patent Publication No. 20030133049 to Cowley, et al. published Jul. 17, 2003 entitled “TUNER ARRANGEMENT AND SET TOP BOX” discloses a multiple tuner arrangement formed on a single integrated circuit having a common radio frequency input terminal. The terminal supplies a broadband input signal to a plurality of individual tuners, which may be identical to each other in construction. The tuners are arranged to operate simultaneously. The tuners select, independently of each other, respective desired channels for reception; convert the desired channels to respective intermediate frequency signals; and supply the respective intermediate frequency signals to the channel output terminal.
United States Patent Publication No. 20040156614 to Bumgardner, et al. published Aug. 12, 2004 entitled “TUNER SHARING VIDEO RECORDER SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE” discloses a shared tuner video recorder system architecture. In one embodiment, multiple set-top boxes are networked and configured to share tuners with each other. If a specific set-top box has no tuners available to schedule a show, it attempts to schedule the show on the tuner of another set-top box in the network.
United States Patent Publication No. 20050044570 to Poslinski published Feb. 24, 2005 entitled “CACHING DATA FROM MULTIPLE CHANNELS SIMULTANEOUSLY” discloses methods and systems for caching data from multiple channels simultaneously. Data specifying a set of channels and a prioritization of the set of channels is received. Channels from the set of channels are selected for which to assign tuners to and then cache data based on the prioritization. Data for the selected channels is cached simultaneously. The tuners may be within a set-top-box. Trick modes may be used to view portions of programs represented by the cached data.
United States Patent Publication No. 20060136968 to Han, et al. published Jun. 22, 2006 entitled “APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING SAME/DIFFERENT DIGITAL BROADCASTING STREAMS IN HETEROGENEOUS HOME NETWORK AND METHOD THEREOF” discloses an apparatus for distributing same/different digital broadcasting streams in a heterogeneous home network and a method thereof. The apparatus includes a home gateway, and a home server, connected to the home gateway through Ethernet and also connected to a PC, a second IP STB, a 1394 STB, an HAS (Home Auto System) and an HDTV receiver, for outputting a ground-wave broadcast, a satellite broadcast and a cable broadcast to their HDTV receivers, respectively, through the second IP STB and the 1394 STB if the ground-wave broadcast, the satellite broadcast and the cable broadcast are received through coaxial cables, interworking with the HAS in order to control home appliances, and directly outputting the broadcast to the HDTV receiver through a built-in STB function. According to the apparatus, a user having a plurality of HDTV receivers at home can simultaneously view a plurality of HDTV broadcasts irrespective of the broadcasting systems when a plurality of heterogeneous home networks match through a home network matching device.
United States Patent Publication No. 20050064831 to Feenstra, et al. published Mar. 24, 2005 entitled “SOFTWARE SIGNAL RECEIVER” discloses a system and method for processing a plurality of received signals within a broad signal space concurrently without the need for multiple hardware tuners. The system includes: a signal directing mechanism for routing a transmitted frequency band into the system, the transmitted frequency band includes a plurality of waveforms, each one of the plurality of waveforms contains information; a storage assembly for storing the transmitted frequency band; a selection assembly for selecting at least one waveform from the transmitted frequency band; a processor for processing information corresponding to the at least one waveform; and a presentation device for presenting the information processed from at least one selected waveform to a user.
United States Patent Publication No. 20050144646 to Lecrom, et al. published Jun. 30, 2005 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A RECEIVER/DECODER” discloses a method and apparatus relating to a receiver/decoder in a digital television environment, including logical devices (including logical demultiplexer devices) for representing physical and other devices in the receiver/decoder. The method includes the instantiation of devices by the receiver/decoder as required to support functionality thereof. The method further includes the use of multiple demultiplexers/remultiplexers, for example in the recording of more than one service simultaneously; and a control word device for the management of control word operations; the use of two or more tuners. Various elements of a digital television system (such as a receiver/decoder and a set top box) are also disclosed.
United States Patent Publication No. 20040247122 to Hobrock, et al. published Dec. 9, 2004 entitled “PROCESSING MULTIPLE ENCRYPTED TRANSPORT STREAMS” discloses a single decryption engine used for decrypting a plurality of encrypted transport streams. Packets in each of the plurality of encrypted transport streams are tagged with a tag value to indicate their origin stream. The tagged packets from the plurality of encrypted transport streams are merged into a merged transport stream. The packets in the merged transport stream are decrypted with the decryption engine to produce a decrypted merged transport stream. The decrypted merged transport stream is split into a plurality of decrypted transport streams, equal in number to the plurality of encrypted transport streams, by routing packets in the decrypted merged transport stream to specific decrypted transport streams according to their tag value. A null-packet padding technique, a gapped-clock technique and a multi-port static RAM controller technique are also disclosed.
Co-owned and co-pending United States Patent Publication No. 20060130113 to Carlucci, et al. published Jun. 15, 2006 and entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIDEBAND DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT”, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a method and apparatus to create and transmit transport multiplexes comprising one or more levels of service over a network. In one embodiment, the level of service comprises high definition (HD) content or programs, and the transmitted multiplexes are distributed over a plurality of downstream RF carriers in a cable network simultaneously. A headend architecture for performing the multiplexing and distribution of multiple HD programs over the multiple carriers (i.e., in a “wideband” configuration) is disclosed. CPE having one or more wideband tuners is also disclosed, the CPE being adapted to receive the multiplexed HD content from the various RF carriers, and demultiplex it in order to permit decoding and subsequent viewing by the user. The use of multiple HD source programs with the multiplex advantageously provides for enhanced statistical multiplexing by providing a larger “pool” of constituent inputs and available carriers.
Co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/818,236 filed Jun. 13, 2007, entitled “PREMISES GATEWAY APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR USE IN A CONTENT-BASED NETWORK”, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,954,131 on May 31, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses apparatus and methods for premises gateway functions that integrate or unify functions typically distributed across multiple devices within a content-based network. In one embodiment, the out-of-band (OOB) signaling functionality normally provided in each of a set-top-box (STB) and digital video recorder (DVR) are unified into a common OOB (e.g., DOCSIS) capable premises gateway device, thereby obviating OOB tuners and related components from each device. In another variant, the premises gateway is adapted for all-IP operation, such as for use with IP-based computers and IP set-top boxes, etc. Fully unified variants are also disclosed, wherein the DVR and/or STB functions are physically integrated within the premises gateway.
However, despite the foregoing variety of devices and configurations for use with cable television networks which permit multiple channel streams to be distributed from a single set top box (STB), the delivery of multiple content streams is still substantially disparate in the abovementioned inventions in terms of their hardware and software environments. This is particularly true given that the majority of the aforementioned STB require multiple tuners to perform the desired function. This adds cost not only for the consumer (e.g., those buying retail devices), but also to the network operator such as a cable MSO, since they must expend more in outfitting a subscriber with given capabilities than they would otherwise, were less costly and less duplicative technologies used.
Furthermore, the aforementioned systems may rely on OpenCable Application Program (OCAP) or on proprietary vendor applications to control the tuning function (and other aspects of the tuner resources).
Hence, there remains a salient need for improved apparatus and methods that maximize operational efficiency within a content-based network (such as a cable television network) by fully utilizing the entire RF source content which enters the premises via the STB; e.g., by accessing multiple program streams on a single QAM.
Such improved apparatus and methods would also ideally reduce the capital costs related to deployment of customer premises equipment.
Such solutions would also ideally be independent of or agnostic to OCAP or other proprietary vendor architectures with respect to control the tuning and other aspects of tuner resources.